Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-04-21
An English View of American
Character


That submission to the will of tho
majority which isincaleulated by dem.
ocratic institutions has exercised a
marked influence upon the social no
less than upon the political life OF the
people OF the United States, save in
the late slave States. 1t has not only
had the result of preventing the de-
velopment of individuality OF char.
acter, but likewise has considerably
modified that obstinacy OF temper and
dogged tenacity OF opinion which arc
to be found in the Anglo-Saxon race.
The late Lord Beaconsfeld on one
occasion said in the House OF Com
mons that q gentleman who had spent
several years IN America had declared
to him that it was ms belief that "the
citizens OF the republic were the most
tractabie people in the world, and the
readiest open to conviction by argu.
ment."
In the United States. the absence o
that segregation ofthevario sgradeso.
society which exist in Europe is evinc.
ed by the habits and manners OF the
masses in that country. II the ma
tional independence Of character be
occasionally pushed too far, and de.
generate into offensive self-assertion,
at least it prevents any approach to
servility. No inequality OF position
or circumstances vii! induce n native
OF any of the Northern States to sub.
m;t to being dealt with in the manner
or spoken to in the tone which, in
England, the man in broadcloth too
frequently adopts, as a matter OF
course, toward the man in fustian
The late Sydney Godoiphin Osborne
used to relate how, once, a respectable
artisan said to him: "Ilikeyou, my
lord; there is nothing OF the
gentleman about you" The meaning
of the speaker was undoubtedly that
Lord Osborne did not treat him in the
patronizing n that members Of
the higher class usually address those
whom they regard as their social infe,
riors. Now, no one perhaps has a
keener appreciation OF the advantages
of wealth and education than the
American; but the possessor of them
should feel himself justified in using
towards the man who lacks these adj.
ventitious gifts the language of a SUI
perior to an inferior, is what he can.
not understand, and which he will not
for n moment put up with. In fact,
the discourtesy. and even rudeness, OF
which some travellers in the United
States complain have arisen from the
fact of their failing to appreciate the
difference existing between the social
systems OF that country and their
own.
The wide gulf in culture which in
England separates the upper and
middle classes from the lower orders,
does no exist in America. This has
arisen from various causes. In the
first place, the great bulk OF the poe
pie of the Union IRE much better edu.
Gated than is rs yet the case in this
country. The admirable system OF
common or, as they are termed, pub
lie" schools which prevails in America
affords facilities for all children OBJ
tanning a sound English education
without the payment by their parents
OF any school fees, and at a thrilling
cost to the taxpayer in all sections OF
the Union, and especially in the West
where large grants have been made
ofthe State lands in support ofthe pub
lie schools. In the second place, the
social status Of the working classes
who are natives of the United States
has been raised by the fact that the
Americans are almost exclusively en-
gagged In ayocations demanding intel
ligence and skilled labor. This has
been owing to the circumstance that
upon the colored population and the
Irish and German immigrants have
devolved those coarse and irksome
occupations which have TO be followed
by p portion of the inhabitants OF 9th.
er countries. To give one instance OF
this alone, it may be stated thag rare
ly is a native American citizen, man
or woman, found occupying the posi-
ton as a domestic servant in any At.
lantic ties,-Chambers's Journal.